The ravishing Thai islands in the Andaman Sea
February 9 – March 3, 2019
As if John’s parents visiting us in Thailand was not a big enough event, it was topped off with all of us going to the beautiful islands in the Andaman Sea! I have dreamt of going to these islands for at least 7 years and I was finally going!
Kata Beach, Phuket February 12-16
We flew into Phuket and stayed in Kata beach for 4 nights in a 3 bedroom apartment.
The first couple of days we went to Kata beach and Kata Noi beach. It was so relaxing to be out of Bangkok on a beach, breathing fresh air, and taking in the lush greenery surrounding it. We snorkeled off the beach at Kata Noi and although it was not the best, we found some huge starfish and had fun.
On our last full day we went to an elephant sanctuary. On our ride there we shared the back of a pick up truck with another extended family like ours. The adult kids were traveling long term like us, except with no kids but they were so excited to see that we were doing it with one. It was so refreshing meeting them. We shared our experiences and acknowledged that we have this wanderlust and chose to live a different lifestyle. Upon arrival there were 4 elephants standing in front welcoming us and they were much larger than I expected. We pet them, fed them, and just admired their beauty. Although they were huge they exuded a calm, gentle feeling. We moved on to bathing them, wiping mud on them and water fights. Myself and John mostly watched from a distance but the rest of the family was fully engaged. We got to watch Grandma get soaked with water as she got stuck in the middle of a large water fight.
In the evenings we went out to dinner and still found some adventure. Turns out that just walking to town was exciting in itself. The walk was filled with a little danger as we squeezed ourselves on the side of the narrow windy, hilly roads. Trucks and motorbikes were zipping by us as we all navigated the uneven roads. I felt relief whenever we turned the corner onto our quiet street or the main street with large sidewalks.
We ate at a quaint roadside restaurant that had a small barbecue with fresh seafood. We were able to score one of the few tables tucked onto the sidewalk, directly next to the road. We ate there twice because they had the best seafood and it was super cheap. Their salt grilled shrimp and salt grilled fish was amazing. It was only about $5 for a whole fish!
Phi Phi island February 16-19
Chongkhao Resort
Our next stop was Phi Phi island, a bucket list item for me. We took a van over to the ferry terminal and jumped on board. The boat ride was smooth and scenic. I was so excited to see the giant limestone cliffs jutting out of the ocean the first time. They were much larger than I expected. Arriving to the island we were greeted by the infamous massive cliffs with bright white sand beach at their base touching the clear, warm, turquoise water. The ferry terminal was chaotic but after we got off the docks and closer to our hotel, on the chill side of the island, it calmed down. Our hotel was a quick walk to a quiet, local beach without the chaos of all of the tour boats. At low tide the water got so low you could walk out half way into the bay.
On our first day we just relaxed on the beach and went out to dinner. We found beautiful, long haired cats all over, even laying on the beach and within stores. They were so friendly. We even had a cat that hung out on our porch and played with us.
On the second day we went out on a 7 hour snorkeling trip. Surprisingly John (the baby) did awesome and had fun, even when he just hung out on the boat with one of us. Our first stop was to a section of the island that had a tiny beach with monkeys all over. They jumped all over the place! They were getting onto the boats taking items from passengers, jumping on people, climbing vertically on the rocks and chasing each other. They were so cute and the baby loved it, along with all of us. The trip continued as we cruised close to the limestone rocks looking at caves and unique formations, admired Maya bay from a distance, and stopped at different sites to snorkel. At one of our stops John (daddy) and I followed a guide and found baby black tip sharks! Aside from the sharks, all of the other wildlife we saw was harmless. We saw turtles, sea anemone, coral, and fish. For lunch, they dropped us off at a beach for an hour. We got back in the boat for sunset followed by a quick night snorkel to see bioluminescence.
We were supposed to leave the next day but since we had so much fun and the scenery was breathtaking, we stayed an extra day. We chilled at the local beach and I got a nice massage there.
Phi Phi island exceeded my expectations. I expected it to be overrun with tourists, which it was not, and almost suggested that we skip it. I am so happy we went because it was amazing and I felt a sense of accomplishment. It was something I always wanted to do. It was a great reminder why it is important to have dreams and goals. Life is so much more fulfilling seeing them through.
Koh Lanta February 19 – February 24
New Ozone Resort
We continued island hopping and got back onto a boat to go to Koh Lanta. The boat was a little smaller but the ride was still smooth and even more scenic. There was more islands and limestone rocks dotting the ocean and coastline.
Our hotel was directly on the beach with a restaurant and comfortable beach lounges under shady trees. We instantly fell in love and made ourselves comfortable for the next few days. In the mornings we got up, had a small breakfast then grabbed a spot down on the ocean and spent the entire day there lounging, swimming, playing in the sand, eating and drinking. Sunsets were memorable. The sun became bright orange and the sky looked like it was on fire as the sun set into the ocean. The colors reflected off the water and shallow tidal pools. After the sunset we could see bright lights from the fishing boats in the distance catching delicious squid.
One day we hired a truck with a driver to take us to Mu Ko Lanta National park. When we got there we were greeted by monkeys so we watched them for a little bit then we decided to talk a walk through the jungle. Our hike was not very long but it was pretty much just uphill through the jungle then back down. We had only a couple of nice views but it was nice to see all the different fauna and we found a large spider. At the end of the hike we needed to cool off so we went to the beach and went for a swim. Stupid me left my back pack on the beach with a white plastic bag containing food and John’s arm floats out in the open. As soon as the area was empty a monkey grabbed it! John (daddy) was able to scavenge the floats and some food back from the monkey but he ran off with a bag of chips and put a hole in the swim floats. The monkey ran off just a short distance and taunted us as we watched him eat our chips. I can’t believe I left it out in the open. When we got there, we saw the signs about not leaving belongings out and we were just talking about it. I did exactly what I should not do. Then to eclipse that, as we were walking to the bathroom, I had my backpack on with a poo poo diaper in a white plastic bag on the outside of it. Wouldn’t you know it but a monkey ran and jumped on my back, took it out and ran away with it. Grandpa tried to get it but the monkey turned and looked at him then hissed. So Grandpa let him have it. The monkey ripped it open and quickly got a whiff. He gasped in despair with a disgusted look, turned his head and left it. Grandpa eventually picked it up and threw it away. Hopefully it was the same monkey that took our chips and we got some revenge.
Koh Kradan February 24 – February 28
Paradise Lost Resort
Time for another boat ride, this time to the small island Koh Kradan. Again, the boat got smaller and the ride even more scenic. We landed on the beach, walked through the water carrying our bags, and walked about 5 minutes through the jungle to our hotel. This island had only a few hotels and restaurants, a tiny mini market and no motorized vehicles, except a couple of motorcycles with benches attached to them. Our hotel was in the middle of the jungle with an Italian restaurant, large common area and shared bathrooms. Our rooms had no air conditioning, mosquito nets, open windows, and a pad lock for the door. We had a yummy breakfast every day and a few delicious meals there. The owner was from Genoa, Italy and their pizza was pretty good. Good enough to get the crab pizza twice!
Our first night we walked to Sunset beach to watch the sunset and swim. It was a small stretch of white sand nestled between rocks and jungle with only a couple other people on it. The next morning we walked to Paradise beach and swam off the shore and snorkeled a little. The scenery and water was a beautiful.
The next day we walked a little longer through the jungle to a different part of the island, about 15 minutes, to Ao-Nieng beach. At first sight, the beautiful white sand beach surrounded by jungle with islands in the distance in the turquoise water did not seem too different but once we got in the water and swam out to where the it got deeper, we were surprised with lush coral gardens and an abundance of fish! It was the best snorkeling I have ever experienced. There was a handful of different schools of fish, each with hundreds of fish, surrounding us. The coral was flourishing and there was a large variety. This was my ideal tropical paradise!
For my birthday we went back to Ao Nieng and went to the right side of the beach against some rocks. We had shade from the trees, hermit crabs all over, a school of bait fish swimming at the shore, and a bird that hung out on the rocks hunting the fish. It felt like we were on a Lonely Planet or Discover channel tv show. We collected hermit crabs and put them in a hole that we dug out then watched them as they slowly dug a tunnel to escape. The baby chased the bait fish back and forth along the beach but they continued to stayed in our area all day. We took turns watching the baby and snorkeling. For lunch we brought food back from the hotel restaurant on the beach. We stayed all day and made our way back to the hotel in the late afternoon for showers and dinner. We ate at our hotel and everyone, including restaurant staff, sang happy birthday to me over a brownie with a candle on it with fresh mango and coconut ice cream. It was one of my best birthdays!
Koh Kradan will forever be in my mind as the best snorkeling with stunning scenery above and under the ocean. I hope it remains quiet and reefs are protected.
Koh Mook March February 28 – March 3
Phusambig Resort
We reluctantly left Koh Kradan and hired a long tail boat to take us to one more island, Koh Mook, before we headed back to Bangkok. When we got there, the boat driver had already arranged for a motorcycle taxi to pick us up. They helped carry our bags (and the baby) across the beach into the taxis to take us to our hotel a short drive into the jungle. The taxi was just a simple motorbike with 2 benches attached to it but it was pretty much the only way to get around the island on a motorized vehicle.
One of the taxi drivers stuck with us the whole trip and was so helpful. He did way more than just provide rides. He would bring us to dinner and wait for us to be done then bring us home, he brought us to the port and the beach, and even helped us get a private long tail to take us snorkeling. We had quite a few memorable rides with him. On one of our trips back, he kept turning the engine off and coasted down hills then he slowly pulled into a tiny gas station with just fumes left for gas! It was hysterical. He timed it perfectly. On another ride, we somehow fit 6 adults and one child onto his motorcycle taxi. We thought that we must have the record for the most people on it but then we passed another one that had more people. Their taxi had the same amount plus 2 people standing on the back!
We had good timing with some of John’s family in that his cousins, Matt and Ashley, were in the Thai islands the same time as us so they stayed at the same hotel with us. They went on the private long tail boat with us. The boat took us around the island so we could admire the beautiful limestone rocks, stopped at a couple of snorkeling spots and we swam through a cave about 200 meters to a small beach. It was so cool! The guide had to use a flashlight for a portion of it.
Before we left Koh Mook, we went to the beach for another sunset and Grandpa got a bamboo tattoo of the outline of Koh Kradan. He got it done on the beach in a small bar with people hanging out, drinking and getting tattoos. Not your typical tattoo place but memorable and fun!
Overall we had a great time there and it was memorable meeting up with John’s cousins.
Trang March 3-4
Sritrang Hotel
As we make our way back to Bangkok, we stayed a night in Trang and flew out the next morning. Our hotel was located next to the train station where there is a weekend night market. After checking in we wandered around the small town then hung out in our cool air conditioning room before dinner. We watched out the window as the empty parking lot quickly become a bustling night market. We wandered around the market, feasted on a variety of delicious, inexpensive food, then went back to the room. Around 10pm the night market quickly got broken down, into an empty parking lot, as if nothing happened. The process was so efficient!
The next morning we went to the airport to fly back to Bangkok.
We all spent one more night together in Bangkok then Grandma and Grandpa went back to America and we stayed.
We all left with great memories. The islands were amazing, each with their own character. I hope to go back some day.